Cotton harvesting unit



Oct. 26, 1954 w B SMITH 2,692,469

COTTON HARVESTING UNIT Filed Jan. 15, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Och 26, 1954 w. B. SMITH COTTON HARVESTING UNIT Filed Jan. 15, i951 gwoon/wv 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 26, 1954 COTTON HARVESTING UNIT William Burris Smith, Greenville, Miss., assignor of one-half to Hugh A. Gamble, Greenville,

Miss.

Application January 15, 1951, Serial No. 206,040

(Cl. 56E- 47) 2 Claims.

- l This invention relates to rotating spindle type cotton pickers and more particularly to an im- 'proved dofng mechanism for such pickers.

The spindle type cotton picker as shown, for example, in Patent 1,747,566 issued to Hiram N. Berry', February 18, 1930, comprises a plurality of rotary picking spindles supported by and projecting from a rotary drum or cylinder. The drum is rotated on a vertical axis and moved along the side of a row of cotton plants while rows of rotary picking spindles are successively projected into the plants to wind off the cotton. In the Berry patent construction the picked cotton on the spindles is removed or doffed from the spindles by vertical stripper bars moved along the spindles after the spindles pass out of the plants. The present invention provides a dolf- 'ing mechanism which holds or stabilizes the picked cotton while the spindle is loosened and withdrawn from thepicked cotton.

It is an object of this invention to vprovide an improved doing mechanism which avoids the use of stripper bars and/or rotary brushes.

It is another object of this invention to provide a doing mechanism effective to completely 'f remove picked cotton from the picking spindles.

It is another object of this invention to provide a doing mechanism which includes a plurality of elements intertting between and engaging both sides of the cotton on the spindles ofva vertical row of cotton-loaded spindles to -hold and stabilize the cotton while the spindles vare loosened and withdrawn from the cotton.

It is another object of this invention to provide a .doffing mechanism in which an improved spindle carrier draws rows of cotton-loaded spindles between a series of cotton stabilizing elements.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved spindle drive mechanism which gives the loaded spindles a slight reverse rotation as they are drawn through the dofnng mechanism.

VIt is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved spindle drive mechanism utilizing friction drive belts to rotate the picking spindles after they have penetrated the cotton plants and to reversely rotate the loaded spindles after they have left the plants .and have engaged the improved doing mechanism.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a cloning mechanism with a rotary vclearing device.

Other objects and advantages of this inven-A tionv will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from examination of the following description of a preferred construction illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a pian lview with parts broken away and shown in section illustrating the principal mechanisms of a cotton picker unit embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

For the sake of simplicity and clearness, some details and duplicated elements are omitted from the diagrammatic illustrations.

Referring to the ldiagrammatic drawings for the purposes of illustration, the base or floor of a cotton picker unit is indicated by the numeral it. A top plate I I may be secured to the base I0 by sides I2 and by a suitable framework not shown. The entire unit may be suspended from the top plate Il, which may be flexibly connected to arms secured to a tractor or vehicle as is well known in the art. The top plate Il may have a projecting portion I3 to cover the projecting spindle drive pulley hereinafter to be described.

A rotary shaft I5 extends from a bearing in or supported by the base I0 vertically upward through the topr II where it is connected by a gear of chain drive to a suitable source of power, not shown. 'The shaft I5 has a disc It secured thereto near the base i0, and the disc is provided near its periphery with .a plurality of recesses I1. A series of vertical tubular housings I8 are provided and are supported by the disc It, the lower end of each housing I8 being loosely seated in a recess Il. Each housing I8 is provided with a series of projecting cottony picking spindles I9. The circular series of housings I8 form a cagelike unit rotating about the vertical axis of shaft I5 to successively project and retract vertical rows of spindles It into and out of cotton plants as the unit passes along the side of a row of cotton plants. A typical picking unit may include a cage composed of eighteen housings i8, each housing carrying fourteen spindles, making a total `of two hundred and fifty-two picking spindles per unit. A cotton picker may include two such units arranged in tandem.

The spindles I9 are preferably of the flexibly mounted type driven through a universal joint drive connection. In such construction, the outer or picking portion of the spindle I9 is supported by a coil spring I9a extending outward from the housing I8, and the spindle is connected to its inner driven portion by a universal joint 3 connection |31). Each spindle I9 is driven by its bevel gear 20 engaging a gear 2| mounted on the shaft 22 within the tubular housing I8. Suitable bearings are provided in the housing I8 for the shaft 22, and a drive pulley 23 is secured to the top of the shaft 22 above the housing I8. A rotatable roller 24 may be provided at the top end of the shaft 22 above the pul1eyj23. At the top of the cotton picker unit a pulley 30 is supported on a shaft 3I journaled in the projecting portion I3 of the top plate II.

A similar pulley 32 is supported in a similar manner4 rearward i of the central shaft I5.

Pulley 30 or pulley 32 may be adjustably supported to provide for ady justment of the tension of belts 133; The pulleys 38 and 32 are provided with grooves to receive a plurality of endless V-type belts 33 whichl extend around the pulleys and engage the pulleys 23 of those housings I8 having their spindles I9 penetrated into cotton plants. The shaft 32 may be drivenlby a chain drive 34 `indicatedpartially. in

`Figure 2 and connected to the ypower source which drives central. shaft I5. `To simplify thei illustratve drawings, only three belts 33 are shown .in Figure 2 It will be obvious to those skilled in the. art that more or less than three parallel belts may be used. The outer surfaces of they belts frictionally -engage pulleys 23 for rotating the shafts 22 andfspindles I9 vas the latter are withdrawn fromthe cottonplants. A wheel Y38fis supported on the drive shaft I between ,collars 33 so that the wheel 38 is freel to rotate with respect to the shaft. The .periphery `of Iv'vheel .38 engages the driven pulleys 23 during the time the pulleys are engaged by the driving beltsl 33. The freely turning wheel 33 absorbs'the, inward radial thrust of the driving belts and .relieves the shafts 22 and their bearings in the housings I8 from all stresses except driving torque. l.After a driven pulleyv 23 passes beyond the range of contact with -belt 33, the housing I8 may be biased radially outwardlby suitable springs so that its pulley 23 is no longer in contact with the periphery of wheel 38,.` As mentioned heretofore, rthe lower ends of the housings` I8, are loosely seated in recesses I'I in the driven disc I 6, so that the top of the housing I8 and its pulley '23 is permitted to swing slightly .off vertical. The housings swing inwardwhen'the drive belts .33 'urge the pulleys 23 againstthe free wheel 38, and may swing outward away from contact with the wheel 38 when beyond the limited extent of thedriving belts 33. l t Each tubular housing I8 is .provided atits lower end with a rigid arm `35 secured thereto and extending below the-disc IS, the arms 35 projecting laterally from the. verticalaxis ofthe shaft 22 in a direction at right angles to the axis of the spindle I9. The outer end of the arm 35 carries a roller 36 which engages a camy track 31 in or secured to the base plate I0. `AThe camLt'rack 3,1, as shown diagrammatically in Figure .1, extends forwardlyof the path of travel of the housings I8 on the forward side of the unit, .and extends lrearwardly of the path of travel of the housings I8 on the rearward side of the unit. Theshape of the cam track 3l is such as to slightly turn the housings' in their circular.` path of -vtravelabout the shaft I5 sothat the vertical rows of .spindles I9 penetrate into the cottonplants and are withdrawn from the cotton plants inra substantially parallel row relationship `as the picker moves along the side .of a row of cotton plants. The cam track 3l` is also shaped to move the housings I8 so that the loaded spindles I9 are drawn 1spaced along and secured `to,` a support in the form of a vertical shaft T4I, the .latter being journaled in bearings in the top plate II and The discs or wheels 40 may be provided with rubber Wheels or tires 42 mounted thereon, the tires 42 being similar to or like vehicletires The side' -walls of said tires 42 constitute annular Asurface portions of said members for engagementwith cotton fibers on the spindles I9.. The .tires or` wheels 42 may be of metal,

wood or molded plastic material instead of rubber. The tires 42 may have a conventional tread and preferably have radial grooves extending over the side faces to facilitate `-holding or stabilizing cotton fibers` brought therebetween by the. pind1es 11.9! The ,Supportingfsheft 414 may .fb .0-

rtatedby afdrive sprocket 43-connected v.to Ethe driven shaftl. by a ychain driveI 44 or thellike.

.The spacingv between the tires 42yis`gs'u`ch that ,whenV ay spindle 9 loadedwith Acotton, fibers ,lis drawn between two. adiacent tires, thetiresxw'ill -engagethe cotton .on `both 'sides` of the: spindle `and `hold or .stabilize the cotton. f To assist rin loosening l,the stabilized cotton on a, loaded v,spindle I9, a `stationary belt 4l. ismounted .inthe upper part ofthe unit for engagement with fric'- tion. pulleys 1 ,23 o n housings I 81 whose spindles .I 3 are. drawn 'between .tireisfML` .A stationarysegmental cam48i$ .rigidly supDrted lnearfthe top ofthe unit rvto j engage the free .rollers 24v above the top of such housings f toV swing thel top of the housingsv I 8 outward so the pulleysf ,23 will positively engage the fxedubelt 4Ll The .latter causes the pulleys 23 to slowly'jrotate the spindles a partial turn in a reverse ldirection 'of rotation to the winding rotation ,eiecte'dlby'b'elts 33; whereby the cottonfiberswounjdfonthe spindles are partially unwound or loosened .from the spindle barbs as the spindle passes betweentires Q42,` jThe vertical distance between tires'42 shouldbefslightly greatervthan themaxirnum `diam'elter of spindle I9; 4 f :i f. Y YThey dofflng assemblyr may/,be l provided with' a 'clearing lr'nechanism yctumorising ,af series of notched discs 50 mounted Aon the yvertical shaft 5i, there being adisc 50 extending betweeneach pair of dofng tires42 to .removev cotton fbers from between the tiresZLTheshaft 5I.`is mount.- ed .forv lrotation in suitable bearings "in Ath'eli'otrtom plate rIIJ and the top plate -I I, andmaybe connected to the shaft 4| by a driving chain v52 lextending between sprockets on theeshafts.`

ffReferring .toV the diagrammatic illustration of Figure 1, during operation of the.V .picking unit, the. unit e moves forwardalong the vside' of a ,row of vcotton'plants in the direction indicatedby arrow E53. In operation, .the shaft `I5 is ,driven counterclockwise turning the Idiscv I6..counter.

ter-clockwise around a circular. path. The4 cam 31 turns the `housings I8 Vso that the vertical rows of spindles I9 penetrate intothe sides of cotton plants in substantially parallel rows. After a vertical row `of yspindles has fully penetrated a plant, the drive ybelts 33 driven-clockwise engage the pulleys 23 to rotate those spindlesf Rotation of the spindles ceases lwhen a row; of spindles reachestherearward side vof .theunit and pulley 23 passes beyond the belt pulley 32. The dofiing tires 42 may be rotated counterclockwise, and when the loaded spindles enter between adja- .cent tires, the pulley 23 connected thereto is urged against the stationary belt 47 by cam 48 engaging rollers 24, this causing the loaded spindles to be rotated about half a turn in a reverse direction which tends to unwind and loosen the cotton fibers from the spindles. The engagement of tires 42 with both the top and bottom sides of the cotton on the spindles causes the cotton to be loosened and held while the spindles are drawn out of the cotton. The loose cotton fibers are thrown outward by the rotating tires 42, which are further cleared by the rotating clearing discs 50. The loose cotton may be collected by suitable shields and pneumatic blowers, not shown, which convey the loose cotton fibers to receptacles carried by the picking unit, as is well known in the art.

The limited reversal of the spindles and the partial unwinding of the cotton, together with the stabilizing engagement of the tires with the cotton fibers on both the top and bottom side of each spindle has been found particularly eiective to completely release the cotton from the spindles. The flexible spindles disclosed in my copending application are particularly effective when used with the present form of doffng mechanism. Engagement of the dofiing elements with both the top and bottom sides of the cotton fibers on the spindles has been found to be considerably more effective than rotary brushes or stripper bars. The friction belt drive for the spindle rows has also been found superior to the gear and/or chain drives heretofore used because the friction permits slippage without breakage if a spindle becomes jammed or locked.

This invention contemplates the use of various forms of bearings, supports, drive connections, and the like, as it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that many such variations are possible within the scope of the following claims defining my invention.

I claim:

1. In a cotton picker movable along a row of cotton plants and having a plurality of vertical rows of rotatable picking spindles movable in a substantially circular path to project rows of spindles into said plants and withdraw rows of cottonloaded spindles from said plants, the combination comprising a tubular supporting member for each row of spindles, a driven rotary carrier mounted on said picker for supporting said plurality of tubular members, said carrier loosely engaging each tubular member at the bottom of each tubular member, a rotatable shaft in each tubular supporting member gear-connected to each spindle of the row supported by said member, a pulley secured adjacent to the upper end 0f said shaft, a free roller supported at the upper end of said shaft above said pulley, a driven belt frictionally engageable with said pulley to rotate said spindles in the cotton plants, a rotatable wheel supported by said carrier engageable by said rollers to absorb the lateral thrust of said belt, a dofling mechanism mounted on said picker and including a driven rotary vertical shaft and a plurality of doiing members mounted in spaced relation along said shaft engaging the upper and the lower sides of the cotton on cotton-loaded spindles out of said cotton plants, a stationary friction belt mounted on said picker adjacent said dofiing mechanism engaging said pulleys to reversely rotate said cotton-loaded spindles between said cloning members, and a stand-off cam mounted on said picker opposite to said stationary belt to engage said rollers for urging said pulleys against said stationary belt.

2. In a cotton picker as defined in claim 1, each of said spindles being flexibly supported by said tubular supporting member and being connected by a universal joint and a gear to a gear on said rotatable shaft.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 798,651 Appleby Sept. 5, 1905 891,444 Scherling June 23, 1908 928,676 Houghton Jan. 24, 1911 1,004,835 White Oct. 3, 1911 1,727,708 Johnston Sept. 10, 1929 1,747,566 Berry Feb. 18, 1930 1,801,996 Benjamin Apr. 21, 1931 1,802,022 Johnston et al Apr. 21, 1931 

